


Could You Be What I Always Dreamed?

by Orange_Coyote



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Dialogue Heavy, First Meetings, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, because who needs a plot anyway, bucky makes a quick cameo, smol steve is mighty, so cute you might get a cavity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24700294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orange_Coyote/pseuds/Orange_Coyote
Summary: Steve and Tony have a conversation, which leaves Steve's head spinning.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31
Collections: POTS (18+) Smol Steve Appreciation Bingo





	Could You Be What I Always Dreamed?

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fill for POTS Smol Steve Appreciation Bingo  
> Square T5  
> "I don't like bullies. I don't care where they're from."
> 
> The biggest thank you to ven, neb, and arcade for hosting this event! You're all incredible! <3

Bucky sighed as he plopped down beside Steve, the plastic chairs outside the principal's office familiar but not any more comfortable for it. Steve would know, seeing as he'd sat in this same chair fifteen times in the past few months. "Pal, you really need to learn a new technique."

Steve grumbled, pulling his arms tighter against his chest. His elbows poked against the fabric of his long sleeved uniform shirt with the movement. "Look, Buck. I can't just -"

"I know, Stevie," Bucky said softly. "I don't expect you to ever just watch something like that unfold without doing something. That ain't you.  _ But _ you can go about other ways of doing it."

"Mr. Barnes? The principal is ready to see you now."

Bucky shot Steve a salute before following the secretary down the hall. They really were much too comfortable in the principal's office.

The receptionist left behind smiled politely at Steve, asked if he needed a water break or a bathroom trip. Steve politely declined, though he bristled inside at the pity lacing the woman's voice. Yeah he was smaller than the average student, more skin and bones than fat and muscle, but he could hold his own just fine. A bloodied nose and a bruised eye were nothing in the face of teaching intolerant assholes a lesson.

Steve stewed in his own thoughts for a while before the sound of the chair next to him scraping against the floor caught his attention.

He looked up and to his right to lay eyes on the culprit, and in that moment it felt as if the world stopped turning.

There stood none other than Tony Stark.

He didn't know much about Stark, seeing as they moved in different social circles. But he knew what people said in hushed whispers and what he'd seen in countless photos passed around. Tony Stark was the heir of an technological empire, he had exactly three close friends, and he never studied for any test but he passed them all with flying colors. Steve knew the guy liked to host parties at his manor and conveniently disappear when things turned rowdy. He knew that Stark had a biting wit and an insatiable curiosity.

All of those things, the rumors and the photos and the confirmed facts, only made Steve more curious about who Tony Stark really was. And  _ why _ .

Now here was the person who represented the mystery he most wanted to solve, close enough he could reach out and touch.

Steve winced when he realized how long he must have been staring, but Stark made no mention of it as he sat down. Maybe he was projecting, but Steve swore he could interpret a similar look of curiosity in Stark's eyes.

"Sorry," he said. Steve shrugged him off, but he continued. "Didn't know the chair would be that loud, but I guess I should have expected as much."

"I've gotten used to it," Steve replied. "No harm done."

Tony blinked owlishly. "Uh I'm scared to ask, but how long have you been here for you to be able to get used to it?"

Steve chuckled. "Let's just say this is the third time this month."

"Wow. You don't seem the delinquent type."

"Really?" Steve asked wryly, pointing at his current assortment of slowly healing injuries. "Not even a little?"

Stark breathed out a laugh. "Well, anyone can get roughed up. Doesn't make you a bad person."

"I'm glad you think that. Now say it to Principal Basil."

"I'll gladly defend your honor and virtue. But first I'll need to know your name."

Steve untucked his hands and held one out to Stark. "Steve Rogers, at your service."

Tony put out a hand of his own and shook with Steve. Steve noticed he did so gently, probably not wanting to further aggravate any of Steve's injuries. He mentally added  _ considerate  _ to his Stark list.

"I'm Tony Stark. And yeah, the name is a bit much to handle but I figure I can do more good with it than without it. Even if I do sometimes wish my old man would can it with his Harvard Business School talk."

"Is that what you want to do after high school?" Steve asked. Hopefully he came across as polite and not prying.

"I plan on going to MIT to study, maybe with my dad's support. But even if he threatens to disown me, I just can't see myself with all the yuppies." Steve couldn't help noticing the way Tony's eyes seemed electric when he began talking about his life plans. "I want to build things, help people," Tony added. "What's the point of having all this money if I don't do something positive with it?"

Steve nodded along. "I'm glad you think that way. A lot of wealthy people tend to focus on perpetuating their own wealth rather than enriching the communities that could really use the help."

"Trust me, I know. I've seen it in action. But hey, enough about me. What are you in for?"

Steve crossed his arms again, feeling the tidal wave of anger wash through him at the memory of what he had witnessed out behind the gym building. "Some seniors thought it would be fun to initiate some freshman the old fashioned way: with a group beating." Steve took a deep breath, reminding himself that indirectly triggering an asthma attack right now wouldn't be very ideal. "So of course I stepped in. And of course they didn't like that much. I held them back long enough for the others to get away. Then Mr. Hapson showed up and dragged me here." Steve smiled self-depricatingly as he added, "I'm kinda a repeat offender."

"That's honorable of you. Stupid execution, but a good effort."

Steve laughed. "You sound like my friend, Bucky."

"If he's anything like you I'm sure we'd get along just fine."

"I don't like bullies," Steve asserted, once the fact that  _ Tony Stark liked him just fine _ had time to settle. "I don't care who they are or where they're from."

"Well, Steve Rogers, that's a motto worth standing behind."

"Tony?" the receptionist called out. They both turned to look at her, Steve fighting a blush as he realized what he'd done. "Sorry to interrupt, but your car is here. And it seems the principal is ready to see Mr. Rogers."

"Oh. Thanks, Annabeth. Let Jarvis know I'll be right out." Then he turned back to Steve. "It's been great talking with you, Steve. I hope we run into one another again sometime. Maybe we can swap numbers and merge friend groups. Ana is always saying I need more friends."

"Sure," Steve replied, momentarily distracted by the brightness of Tony's sincere smile. "That'd be great."

"Awesome. See you!"

Steve watched as Tony strode out of the room and around the corner, eyes glued to the doorway long after Tony was completely out of his sightline.

"Mr. Rogers? The principal will see you now."

Steve rose from his seat and followed the secretary without a second thought. His brain was still focused on the fact he'd just made friends with  _ Tony Stark.  _ Bucky would never believe it.

If Steve met Principal Basil with a smile on his face, no one else had to know.


End file.
